A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel chordic progression programmatic annotation method or concept, which can be implemented with regard to many types of standardized keyboards and instruments for more pleasing intonation, tuning and recital, with more ease and better tempo, nuance, articulation and phrasing. The term instruments includes all types of devices having a keyboard, for example, mobile phones.
B. Discussion of Related Art
Chordic keyboards have been proposed in replacement of the standard QWERTY keyboard, and are based on the fact that a user can actuate several keys simultaneously to signal a certain symbol to the instrument or device whereto the keyboard is connected. Such chordic keyboards have been given a special design, adapted to the fingers of a user, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,892, 4,442,506 and 4,443,789 to Endfield et al suggests a portable word-processor with a chordic keyboard having four finger keys and at least one thumb key with chord assignment being based on the pictorial relationship of the keys to letters and punctuation marks. Another specifically designed chordic keyboard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,089 to Burrel, based on the 8-dot Braille arrangement. A dual chordic keyboard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No 5,493,654 to Gopher et al, comprising two individual and specifically designed co-acting keyboards, each one having seven keys, divided into two groups (three and four keys respectively). A further chordic data input device having an extremely specific shape and location of the input keys is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,510 to Matthews, intended to be operated with one hand only.
All of the above patents are based on the use of specifically designed keyboards, but do not disclose how existing standardized keyboards can be used, e.g. the keyboard of a mobile telephone. There are also other types of keypads used for input of user data which are restricted to numerical data, e.g. entrance surveillance systems, and such systems would obviously be more user friendly, provided that alphanumerical data could be inputted rather than only numerical data.